Even the Stars, They Burn
by AssortedFudge
Summary: The first time they ever spoke was in the pouring rain at one o'clock in the morning on top of the Astronomy Tower, him pleading with her not to jump. And so started the descent into madness for Theodore Tonks and Andromeda Black. Sensitive topics, mild language and substance abuse earn the T. Rating will go up later.
1. Some Even Fall To The Earth

_**To anybody who read the story under the same name yesterday, I apologise! I posted the wrong version like an idiot. This is what happens when you save too many drafts of the same thing to the same folder.  
**_

_**Chapter Information**  
_

**Title: Some Even Fall To The Earth**

**Pairing: None yet...**

**Rating: T, for attempted suicide, mild swearing and substance abuse.**

**Quote: "When we can't dream any longer we die." ― Emma Goldman**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Harry Potter and make no profit from this story.**

* * *

_Sometimes I vanish from this world. Just for a little while, I always come back. I don't know where it is I go to when I'm not here, but I know it's a frightening place – I can see it in Teddy's eyes when I come crashing back down to cold reality. They look scared, then relieved, then happy, then sad. That's a lot of emotions to go through in a split second. Perhaps he is the mad one._

_No. I am not mad. I am… different. But the same. Scarred like everyone else, just a little more so and with a different way of dealing with the healing process, that's what Madam Pomfrey tells me when my non-madness lands me in the Hospital Wing. _

_There is only so much the Human mind can deal with before it begins to shut down, the last desperate attempt at self-preservation. My limit came the night I met my guardian angel._

4 October, 1969_  
_

He hurtled through the corridor, not stopping to apologise when he knocked over a fellow prefect on night rounds, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. The boy could hardly breathe, his body screaming desperately for him to stop but it was impossible. Professors called for the student to stop, their orders went ignored as he carried on towards her. Skidding into the stairwell for the Astronomy Tower, he began taking the stairs two at a time, clutching at the bannister for dear life as he raced higher and higher, until… there she was.

Standing up on the very edge, soaked to the bone in the pouring rain and only a footstep away from certain death, the girl stood looking lost and frightened; then she turned and gave him that look, the one that made his heart stop then begin beating so rapidly he thought it would burst.

"What… what are you doing here?" she whispered, confused and swaying slightly as she clutched onto the side. A nearly empty bottle of firewhiskey lay on the ground at his feet. "You need to leave; you're going to ruin everything!"

Theodore took one cautious step towards her, all he wanted to do was run forwards and pull her away from the sheer drop but he knew that would scare her into doing something rash. Instead, he held out his hand and spoke as calmly as he could, though his voice trembled with panic, "Come down. Please. I can help you… or … or I can find people who can. But please just come down; you don't want to do this."

"Don't tell me what I want!" she snapped.

Her gaze burned through Theodore and he knew it was hopeless before she said anything as she turned back to look out at the starry night sky.

"My goal in life was to be able to fly… properly fly, no broomsticks…"

"Please, come down…" he begged. His hair was plastered to his scalp, droplets of water ran down his face and right through his clothes.

"I want to fly," she whispered, tears glistening in her chocolate coloured eyes. A cold wind blew across, sending her wild hair blowing around her, "I want to be free. You have to leave!"

His mind went into overdrive in his panic._ I don't know what to do, oh Christ, please don't jump... where the hell are the Professors when you need them? Please, please, don't... _He took another step forwards, his breath coming in agonising gasps. For the life of him, he couldn't remember her given name and mentally kicked himself, he knew her sisters of course, Bellatrix and Narcissa Black, everyone knew them. She had been in his Potions class for three years damn it, why couldn't he remember her name? Not that they had ever spoken until now, Slytherins and Hufflepuffs as a rule didn't really interact much, for reasons that were obvious.

But Houses didn't matter now.

"Look, Black, I can help you with whatever it is-" he began desperately and she started to laugh, a horrible unhappy sound that filled the air and chilled him to his bones.

"You? Help me? No one can help me, least of all a mudblood Hufflepuff like you!" she replied still staring down at the drop below. Her knuckles were almost translucent in their effort to keep a hold of the wall beside her.

"I'm not leaving," Theodore replied stubbornly, taking another step forward. After six years at Hogwarts, the pureblood's insults ran off him like water off a duck's back. He knew what game she was trying to play and he was refusing to join in.

She twisted round to shoot a fierce glare at him and announced, "Well I am."

The wind whipped through him, howling loudly and causing him to squint but he still saw it happen.

"No!" he yelled and bounded forwards to try and catch her, but it was too late as she stepped off of the edge and hurtled down towards the hard earth waiting below. And for a moment, when he couldn't tear his eyes away, it really did look as if she was flying. A sob escaped his throat and he couldn't move as he watched her plummet towards her death, a death he had no way of preventing.

And then, all of a sudden, she stopped, suspended in mid-air ten feet above her goal. He gripped the wall tightly, not daring to believe his eyes as she drifted slowly downwards until she lay unconscious in the courtyard below. Wrenching himself away from the edge, he tore down the stairs, stumbling in his haste several times.

_God, if you're really up there like my mother says... please..._

She lay unmoving, her eyes shut and her hair splayed round her head like a halo as he reached her side and collapsed to his knees, weak with adrenaline. Hesitantly he placed a cold hand on her shoulder and shook her slightly.

"Black? Can you hear me?" he asked urgently, checking for any obvious bloodstains or broken bones jutting out. Her eyes flickered open and connected with his. There was something... off about them, like she was seeing something else while she stared at him.

"Black?" he whispered.

She opened her mouth, and let out a blood-curdling scream that carried in the wind, loud enough to send him falling off balance and, unfortunately, sprawled across her. A light in the distance began bobbing quickly towards them as the girl clawed at him, tears rolling across her cheeks into her hair as she sobbed, "Get off of me, please just leave me alone!"

Bewildered, Theodore scrambled backwards just in time to see Professor Slughorn rushing towards them brandishing his wand.

"What is going on here, Mr Tonks?" he asked, looking shocked as he hurried to the sobbing girl's side. "Miss Black? What on earth has happened to you?"

"Please..." she was still crying, "Please don't touch me."

Aghast, Slughorn looked over at Theodore who began shaking his head fervently, feeling nausea rise up as he realised what his potions professor was thinking.

"No, this ... this is definitely now what it looks like," he said desperately, "I was trying to help her!"

"Come with me to the hospital wing, this girl needs urgent medical attention," Slughorn said, his voice unsteady. "I will call Professor Dumbledore... he will decide how to deal with this."

"Professor, I swear!"

Protesting his innocence all the way to the residence of the new school matron, Madam Pomfrey, he could see his life and future slipping away from. He would surely be expelled and have his wand snapped, ending all prospects in the magical world. He could end up in Azkaban with the dementors... His palms were cold and clammy with sweat as the Headmaster arrived while the nurse fussed over her patient, who had grown quiet again. Slughorn recounted his discovery of the students to the older wizard who watched Theodore with grave eyes over his half-moon spectacles.

"Thank you, Horace. If you would be so kind as to fetch Narcissa Black and tell her Andromeda is ill," Dumbledore replied to the distressed potions master. Nodding distractedly, the rotund wizard muttered,

"Of course, of course, she will want to be made aware, I'm sure."

He hurried away, leaving a sweating and shaking Theodore with the headmaster.

"I didn't do it," he whispered, staring at the ground which was moving slightly before his eyes, "I'll swear on anything you like, I was trying to help her. She ... she fell off of the Astronomy Tower but something happened and she just stopped in the air... I saw her from the courtyard below when I was doing my rounds and I went up to tell her to go back to her dormitory... but she fell. Then I ran back down and she screamed and-"

Dumbledore raised a hand and Theodore fell silent. A gasp from behind Theodore caused him to spin round in time to see the deep purple bruises running up Andromeda's thighs that Madam Pomfrey had just uncovered as she stripped the wet clothes from the shivering girl.

"Albus... she's been..."

The nurse turned to stare at the Hufflepuff prefect who promptly vomited on the floor under the stare of the two professors and then fainted, darkness closing in on him as he collapsed heavily.

And so started the tale of Andromeda Black and Theodore Tonks.


	2. How Old Is Your Soul?

**Chapter Information**

**Title: How Old Is Your Soul?**

**Pairing: Implied Rabastan/Andromeda (non-cons)**

**Rating: T, for mentions of rape**

**Quote: "The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." - Maya Angelou, All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes**

**Disclaimer: I also do not own the song "I Won't Give Up" which is where the story and chapter titles have come from.**_  
_

* * *

_The first time he raped me wasn't the worst, not by a long shot, which may sound surprising. I suppose I didn't really grasp what was happening at the time and there were no old injuries to aggravate. There was no worry or build up to it like there was in the subsequent assaults either._

_It's hard to describe what it feels like to be completely destroyed and have no one to build you back up again, until that night a year later. Words are useless when there's no one to listen to them. So they stayed swirling around in my mind, growing and multiplying until there was no room for anything else and that's when I had the breakdown. _

_When they heard from Hogwarts my parents hushed it up, threatening to reveal the truth about him if his mother broke off the betrothal and he was banned from the manor so at least I was safe during the holidays. Perhaps one of the nicest things my parents have ever done for me, in a sick twisted way was to keep my childhood home a shelter. _

The room was spinning violently offering him no respite as he heaved the contents of his stomach out into the basin in his hands. Madam Pomfrey entered the side-room and thrust a potion at him which he accepted and gulped down with a grimace of disgust.

"What's going to happen?" he croaked, looking extremely pathetic as he peered up at the nurse.

"Miss Black's injuries are at least two days old," she said, "But the Headmaster still requires information from you before you will be allowed back to your dormitory after he has finished speaking with Miss Black, so in the meantime I suggest you lie down and get some rest. You're suffering from a nasty case of shock."

She bustled out of the room, leaving Theodore alone again. He lay back on the bed and shut his eyes to try and stop the spinning. It was obvious who had attacked Andromeda; the bastard never had his hands off of her in the classes Hufflepuff had with Slytherin or at mealtimes, God only knows what he did to her in private. He started to shiver, a mixture of horror and the chill from his wet clothes sticking to his body and pulled the blanket around him. It didn't offer much relief.

He didn't have to wait long before Dumbledore returned, looking as grave as before, but with a slightly kinder edge.

"Is she going to be alright?" Theodore asked.

"Physically, yes," came the careful reply, "I must ask that you do no tell any of the other students what you have seen tonight, Mr Tonks. Rumours have a nasty habit of spreading quickly here at Hogwarts; it would not do if the wrong people were to hear of this."

"Of course, sir," he replied at once. He opened his mouth then hesitated, unsure whether to tell the true events of the night or not.

"Whatever you tell me will be kept in the strictest confidence," Dumbledore said, as if reading his mind. His eyes bore into him like twin lasers.

"She jumped, sir," Theodore said quietly, looking down at his shoes, "I tried to stop her but I couldn't."

"I see." Dumbledore looked thoughtfully at him, "I doubt there was much you could have done that would have resulted in a more positive outcome, Mr Tonks. Fortunately there are measures in place to prevent any serious injury in situations such as these."

"Sir?"

"Long lasting shield charms are in place around the towers, another fact I must ask for your silence on with the other students. We wouldn't want sky-diving from the Astronomy Tower to become the newest craze in the school now, would we?"

"No, sir." _Though it would be a good way of getting away from Professor Sinistra if you hadn't finished your essay in time. _Shame kicked in immediately after the thought. Someone had just tried to kill herself and he was making jokes. _Some Hufflepuff you are._

Dumbledore was heading back towards the main wing and cast him one last look before opening the door, "Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to visit Miss Black tomorrow evening."

"I'm not sure I'll be the person she wants to see, sir," Theodore replied glumly. The events of the night were starting to catch up to him and it was now past three AM, as he yawned widely and shook his head, attempting to remain awake and alert.

"You may be surprised," the old wizard said mysteriously, "Return to your dormitory for the time being, Mr Tonks."

"Sir, I think I know who did it!" the student blurted out as Dumbledore stepped outside. He hesitated then came back into the side-room and closed the door shut with a click.

"Rabastan Lestrange, sir," Theodore carried on hastily, "I mean I'm not sure but…"

"This is a very serious accusation to make without any certainty," Dumbledore replied sternly.

"I know but-"

Dumbledore held up a hand to quieten him. "The perpetrator will be found, do not concern yourself over the matter. Now, to bed."

The next day passed in a blurry haze with Theodore doing all he could just to stay awake through his classes, a particularly difficult task during History of Magic. He was grateful when his last class of the day finally arrived – Muggle Studies – so that he could finally sleep guilt-free. He knew all about toasters anyway.

Trudging through the corridors towards the Hufflepuff common room, he paused as he passed the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore's words flashing through his mind. _"You may be surprised…"_

With a small sigh, he changed direction and made his way reluctantly inside. Madam Pomfrey looked up as he walked inside, her searching eyes probing him.

"Can I see-"

"Side-room four," came the abrupt reply, "There's no one else in with her, make sure you knock before you enter."

He nodded and set off in the direction she had pointed. He rapped his knuckles twice on the door and heard a faint, "Come in." Opening the door, he hesitated as their eyes met across the room.

"I came to see how you were feeling," he said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head in his typical act of discomfort. She looked small sitting up in the pristinely white bed, her skin nearly as pale. Her eyes told a different story from the night before.

She shrugged. "Alive." Her tone was almost accusatory, or was it just his imagination? Why did he feel the absurd need to apologise?

He shifted from foot to foot uneasily, "I haven't told anyone."

"A lie," Andromeda replied straight away. Her eyes had this way of burning straight through his, unwavering in their search for … he didn't know.

He rolled his eyes, "I had to tell Professor Dumbledore. I just wanted to try and help."

She smiled then, but there was no humour, just a strange kind of sadness. "You are very naïve."

Theodore bristled and crossed his arms across his chest. "I am not."

"It's refreshing," the girl replied, ignoring his denial, "I live in a different world to you. Everyone knows everything, and if they don't then they suspect it. It's nice to speak to someone who still thinks they can change things." She looked up at him again. "I think Professor Dumbledore wants you to look after me. A sudden change of heart from what he first thought last night."

He snorted, "Not half." He fidgeted, adjusting his bag over his shoulder. "I don't know how I could look after you… we only have two classes in common and we live in opposite parts of the castle."

"It is not the most practical of requests," she agreed. True humour shined in her eyes this time when she smiled at him, "Perhaps the headmaster thinks we are soul mates – that mere distance will not keep us apart?"

"He's come out with stranger things in the past," he answered with a chuckle, "I guess I should let you rest."

"By the looks of things, you need it more than I," Andromeda replied smoothing out the covers over her knees.

That was when he caught sight of the ring on her left ring finger and for some unfathomable reason he felt… disappointed? Worried? He couldn't place the emotion as he continued to stare at the obviously old and expensive piece of jewellery.

"It doesn't come off." Her quiet voice brought him out of his thoughts and he looked at her questioningly. The sad far-off expression was back on her face.

"It's charmed to stay on my finger for the rest of my life," she continued, enunciating the last words, "Somewhat like the proverbial ball and chain, I suppose."

Surprised she knew the Muggle saying, Theodore felt a wave of pity wash over him as he watched the young girl tracing the large stone in the middle of the ring. "I'll come back tomorrow," he promised.

She didn't look up but replied after a moment, "Good."


	3. Even If The Skies Get Rough

**Chapter Information**

**Title: Even If The Skies Get Rough**

**Pairing: Implied Rabastan/Andromeda (non-cons)**

**Rating: T, for mentions of implied rape**

* * *

_We have a telescope in the gardens at home; the best money can buy of course. My Uncle Alphard used to take us out at night when we were little and point out our namesake constellations and tell us the stories behind them. Narcissa was never interested, she only complained about the cold. Bellatrix had no interest in looking up at some far away lights in the sky; she did brighten up when he told her the meaning behind her name – "female warrior". It does seem to suit her rather well._

_I love astronomy. It was my favourite subject throughout school – despite some teasing remarks from the other students about my name, the usual unremarkable jibes. Uncle Alphard was the first person to show me the constellation Andromeda through the family telescope and I can only recognise now at an older and less naïve age the sad edge to his voice as he recounted the tale of the Greek princess, also known as 'The Chained Woman', who was shackled to a rock by her parents as a sacrifice to the sea monster, Cetus, to save their kingdom._

_But Andromeda, like all princesses in famous legends, was rescued by the brave hero returning from war, in this case Perseus. Perhaps one day, history shall repeat itself and this Andromeda will find her true Perseus to rescue her from her own impending doom._

* * *

What had started out as obligation mixed with a dash of curiosity had now brewed into something deeper than even Theodore fully realised as he began visiting Andromeda more and more in the Hospital Wing over the following fortnight. Sometimes she was bright and (almost) happy when he arrived, others she sat in bed silently looking out of the window at the approaching winter, its cold creeping hands already leaving their frosty fingerprints on the school grounds.

He liked the crunching feeling of his boots against the hardened grass. Making his way towards Care of Magical Creatures his breath appeared in clouds before him and he pulled his yellow and black striped school scarf up over his chin to try and coax more warmth from it, with little success. Almost the moment he arrived at the class, he was pulled aside by the bad-tempered professor who snarled at the confused boy that he was needed in the Hospital Wing. His heart hammering, Theodore immediately turned and hurried straight there.

"-Urge you to reconsider-"

"There is nothing to reconsider and that is my last word on the matter, Dumbledore!" The owner of the cold voice appeared in the entrance to the Hospital Wing just as Theodore was arriving and swept imperiously past him with a face like thunder and her nose high in the air. Stepping inside cautiously, Dumbledore, looking weary, beckoned him towards the familiar side-room.

"Is something wrong with Miss Black, sir?" Theodore asked.

"Quite the opposite, quite the opposite, Madam Pomfrey has decided that she would no longer benefit from being kept in confinement and it has been decided that she should be allowed to return to the Slytherin dormitories."

"Oh… then why was I called here?" he asked, puzzled and a little disappointed to hear she was being taken away from the neutral zone of the Hospital Wing – the No Man's Land of Hogwarts – and being thrust back in with the snakes away from his reach.

"As an escort back to the dungeons," the old man replied, "If you would be so kind of course."

"Of course," Theodore repeated and knocked on the door before he entered to find Andromeda packing her clothes neatly into a small bag. She didn't look up as he closed the door behind him.

"They're finally setting you free then," he said, an attempt at light-heartedness. A small frown was in place, crinkling the bridge of her nose as she folded up her nightdress.

"You must have been going crazy stuck here for two weeks," he continued and she turned to glare at him as she snapped the bag shut.

"Everyone seems very fond of that word today," she muttered, more to herself than him, as she pushed an errant curl back behind her ear. "I find it most unnecessary. I have become neither demented nor impractical in the relatively short period spent mostly in my own company."

"I did not mean to suggest that you had," Theodore replied. Finally he put two and two together and came up with the correct answer. "Was that your mother?"

Andromeda gave an affirmative "Mmm" sound.

"Does she know about… what's been happening?" he asked awkwardly.

"She knows everything and will change nothing, as is the way of the Black family," she replied, sounding the most bitter he had ever heard her as she swept out of the side-room towards the exit. Breaking into a trot, he caught up with her in the corridor.

"I don't want you to go back there," he blurted out, feeling his face reddening as she turned her gaze onto him. "You aren't safe there."

"I cannot stay in isolation for the rest of my life," she said dismissively, "What's going to happen will happen and there is no point putting it off or denying it any longer. This is my life, welcome to the world of pure-blood mania, it comes with free jewellery." She raised her left hand, showing off the ring once more.

"Dumbledore must be able to intervene," he argued. He hated when she was in these moods, irritable yet unwilling to accept any other options until she reverted into silence and pulled away from him completely.

"He has no influence within my family," Andromeda said as they rounded the last corner before the descent into the dungeons. "No doubt he tried earlier today, and I'd imagine seeing as I am currently on the way back to the den of my attacker…" she paused and swallowed. "I would imagine that his requests fell on deaf ears."

"But…" the idea of her parents leaving her with that monster for the sake of maintaining a respectable family line and reputation was abhorrent to him and he found it difficult to find the right words when she seemed relatively unperturbed. Andromeda stopped abruptly and pulled on his arm, forcing him to slow to a stop beside her.

"You cannot help me," she whispered, her brown eyes large and bright as they stared into his. "And if you keep trying, you'll go down with me."

He couldn't tear his gaze away from hers as the warmth from her pain spread through his arm, the only source of heat in the cold damp dungeons. "I-"

"Andromeda."

Her eyes flicked to the new arrival over Theodore's shoulder and she froze in a state of apparent shock. Turning his head, he already knew who he was going to see as Rabastan Lestrange regarded them both with a hard stare. The typical slimy Slytherin had arrogance practically tattooed across his face. Black hair was slicked back with not one strand out of place, a stark contrast to Theodore's messy blonde hair that was in desperate need of a cut. Dark eyes with no hint of warmth or love rested on Andromeda.

"I was unaware that you had been released from Madam Pomfrey's care," he said stepping in front of Theodore and resting his large hands on her thin shoulders as he stared intently into her face. "You should have informed me."

Theodore's blood was starting to boil; he could feel it as his fists involuntarily clenched. Rabastan noticed out of the corner of his eye and began pulling Andromeda in the direction of the Slytherin common room.

"Come on, you must return to bed," he said, his voice as smooth as silk even as his fingers tightened in a painful vice like grip, sure to leave bruises. "We have a lot of time to catch up on."

"She has to return to class," Theodore interrupted. "Dumbledore's orders."

"Nonsense, she needs more time to rest," Rabastan dismissed, continuing to manoeuvre her closer to the entrance, "Get back to your own section of the castle, Mudblood."

Theodore rolled his eyes but his retort died on his lips as he saw the look on Andromeda's face change. It was clearly a practiced mask, nearly perfected after a lifetime with arrogant pure-bloods. Her eyes hardened, her lip curled slightly in an expression of disgust. But… it was directed towards him.

"Yes, run along now like a good little boy," she joined in stonily causing Rabastan to grin.

Theodore stared at her, unmoving, as she allowed herself to be dragged away by her fiancé, their eyes meeting one last time over Rabastan's shoulder before the entrance closed behind them, leaving him alone.

Later that night as he sat reading in bed, a faint tapping at the window nearest him alerted him to the presence of a regal looking eagle owl clutching a letter in its beak. Unlatching the window, he accepted the letter and opened it curiously, not recognising the handwriting. He never received letters from home; his mother was terrified of the creatures.

_I am safe for the time being in my dormitory. I must express some regret over our parting earlier today, but I did not want to see you hurt,_

_A. Black._

Grabbing a quill from his bedside table, he quickly scribbled back a reply.

**I received no injury. It is clear now that I had misinterpreted our friendship during your illness and will stay away from you as you wish.**

**T. Tonks**

As he went to clip the message back onto the waiting bird, he stopped abruptly as words began to form on the page.

_If you had stayed you would only have served to anger him more, endangering both of us but especially you. Trust me when I say I was acting in our own best interests. My desire to see you unharmed outbalanced good manners in this instance and will continue to do so. I hope to see you in the near future._

_Andromeda._

The words faded into the page and confused and still somewhat angry, Theodore slammed the window shut causing the owl on the ledge to squawk irritably and climbed back into bed, throwing the covers over his head. His mind was racing. He was to protect her from someone who had influence over the headmaster and her family and friends, who lived with her and had classes with her. Who would be married to her within three years. It was a suicide mission. And one that he knew in his heart he had already accepted the night he ran up the Astronomy Tower's stairwell to pull her back from the edge. He was already damned.


	4. We Didn't Break, We Didn't Burn

**Chapter Information**

**Title: We Didn't Break, We Didn't Burn**

**Pairing: Rabastan/Andromeda (non-cons)**

**Quote: "They've done it before and they'll do it again and when they do it - seems that only the children weep. Good night." ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird**

**Rating: M, for implied rape, violence and swearing.**

* * *

_Theodore: A Gift From God. The way so many muggles will put their faith in something that they cannot physically prove has baffled me on occasion. The claim that faith is powerful enough to heal, however, intrigues me. Perhaps that is the closest muggles will come to magic. Perhaps, faith is more powerful. Either way, it is not to be underestimated._

* * *

After the Christmas holidays, things were quiet for a while. Then, around about the 22nd January, all hell broke loose. When he looked back on that day all he could really remember was Narcissa screaming, covered in blood while Andromeda only let out a whimper. But the whimper, in Ted's ears, was a thousand times louder.

Theodore trudged through the corridors on his way to the library for some studying before bed, his boots leaving a trail of slushy snow behind him. As usual his mind was not on where he was going, but a certain brunette Slytherin whom he had not seen in two weeks outside classes. He was worried and it showed on his face as he pushed the doors to the library open and walked inside, revelling in the warmth that greeted him in a comforting embrace.

The minutes ticked by slowly as his eyes trailed across the last paragraph he had written of his half-finished Potions essay, trying to figure out what his train of thought had been so he could at least make sense when he figured out how to finish it. With a sigh, he tossed his quill onto the table and yanked his textbook out of his bag, stopping in surprise as a piece of parchment fell out of the front cover onto the desk.

_Meet me at our Potions class at 11 o'clock tonight. ADB._

He stared at the familiar handwriting and felt his heart begin to hammer in his chest. How had she even gotten the note into his book without him noticing? And how did she know he was going to find it in time to meet her? _Think about what this could mean… she wants to meet you alone… at night… in an abandoned classroom… _Shaking his head, he pushed his homework into his bag and headed for the Hufflepuff common room before the nine o'clock curfew.

An hour and a half of worrying and hoping later, he stepped out in the corridor again on the pretence of doing the night rounds and snuck off towards Slughorn's classroom, careful to avoid the actual prefects roaming through the school.

_As he got nearer to his destination he paused to self-consciously flatten down his messy blond hair and take a few deep breaths. __Don't get your hopes up – this is Andromeda we're talking about here. _One last stretch of corridor to go-  


A burst of agony shot through him, starting in the centre of his back and travelling a fiery path up his spinal chord. Letting out a shocked cry, Theodore stumbled and fell awkwardly to the floor, his head spinning and unable to process what had happened as a figure stepped in front of him.

"Filth."

The single word was so venomous it nearly made him flinch as he slowly struggled to his feet, the sneering face of Rabastan Lestrange coming into view before his eyes.

"What the hell are you-" he started, pulling his own wand out of his pocket as Rabastan raised his again.

"Your blood traitor whore isn't coming to meet you tonight," the Slytherin snarled, "I'm afraid she's had something of an accident."

Theodore's own temper - mixed with fear - flared and before Rabastan could defend himself, his fist made hard contact with his nose, sending blood spraying down his face.

"What's wrong, Lestrange, too muggle for you to bother retaliating?" Theodore panted, pain radiating through his hand, "Or is it only girls you attack?"

Another angry snarl was the last thing he registered before he was back down on the crowd, crying out in the worst pain he had ever experienced. His muscles were being pulled and twisted into a thousand knots while his blood boiled him from the inside out. Sweat broke out all over his body, dripping down his forehead and into his eyes, had they not been screwed shut so tightly.

A shrill scream, one that was not his own, broke through the haze of agony in his mind and the curse lifted suddenly leaving him slumped on the floor.

"What... what have you done to her?" Theodore moaned, putting as much dignity as he could into hauling himself back to his feet.

"Nothing she didn't deserve," came the sharp reply before Rabastan lunged towards him and grabbed hold of the front of his shirt. Pushing his face so close to his that Theodore could smell his rancid breath, Rabastan hissed, "Listen to me: If you go near her again after tonight, I'll hurt her. I'll hurt her so badly you'll hear the bitch's pathetic screams all the way down in your own little common room." His smirk combined with the blood crusted around his nose and smeared across his lips and chin made him look deranged. "If you knew the things your precious little whore and I got up to, little mudblood, I doubt you'd ever sleep again."

"You bastard," Theodore breathed, "You absolute fucking bastard."

Rabastan tutted and released his shirt as he stepped back. "What foul language from a little Hufflepuff. Go on, go and see to her. See what happens when you interfere."

Not waiting for another invitation, Theodore pushed past him and started to jog, then run, towards Slughorn's classroom. Pushing open the door, he saw Narcissa Black on the floor beside her unconscious older sister and he hurried over to them. Tears glistened in her eyes as her head whipped round to glare at him. Scarlet pools of liquid glistened from between Andromeda's legs, blood was still slowly soaking through her robes to join them.

"Get out!" Narcissa demanded angrily, "This is all your fault! Leave!"

Theodore ignored her and placed a hand on Andromeda's pale cheek. "Dromeda... can you hear me?"

"I am ordering you to leave!" Narcissa slapped his hand away.

"Do I look like a fucking house elf to you?" Theodore turned on her and snapped and he saw the red stains covering her small hands as well. Looking closer at her, he noticed the bloody trail across her face and in her hair.

"Are you hurt as well?" he asked, a little harshly.

Taken aback, she shook her head and her lower lip trembled slightly. Theodore sighed.

"Look, why don't you go and get Madam Pomfrey, tell her what's happened."

"I don't take orders from you!" she replied, though her voice wavered and the tremble became more pronounced.

"For the love of God..." Theodore gave her a gentle push out of the way and gathered Andromeda up in his arms.

"What are you-"

"Getting your sister the help she needs," he snapped and staggered to his feet. She was not heavy, not by a long-shot, but his muscles were still in spasm from Lestrange's attack, making him weaker. Nevertheless, he marched out into the corridor. Jarred by the sudden movement, Andromeda's eyes fluttered open and made contact with his.

"Oh, Teddy..." she murmured, and passed out once more.

* * *

Five days passed before he was allowed to see her, with reassurances from Madame Pomfrey that none of the Slytherins were being allowed in. He closed the side-room door behind him after he entered and offered a weak smile at the girl sitting propped up by countless pillows in bed.

"You're looking better than I expected," he said.

"I am afraid that I do not feel it," she replied, patting the end of the bed. He sat down obediently but kept his distance.

"There was so much blood... I was afraid that..." he paused, "I don't want that to happen to you again. If we spend any more time together-"

"It's going to happen whether we remain friends or not," Andromeda interrupted softly, "Anyone who says otherwise is just looking to lay the blame at the feet of someone they see as insignificant. They are cowards, lying to themselves."

"But-"

"No buts, Teddy," she said firmly and he couldn't help but smile, despite the trepidation building within him.

"Why are you calling me that?" he questioned.

"Don't you like it?"

"It's ... juvenile. Childlike. A stuffed bear for young children."

"Ah, but the teddy bear was named for the President of the United States... the most powerful man in the world," Andromeda pointed out with a smile.

"The most powerful muggle in the world," he corrected, "And how would you know so much about muggle history?"

"I only know small bits and pieces," she mused. "A teddy bear is comforting to those of all ages, the older generations are just not so quick to admit it as children are. And since I never had one... What about Ted? A compromise."

Ted held up his hands in a gesture of defeat and she smiled. Maybe he'd get used to it.

* * *

Most people when asked to sum up their life in three words would find it a difficult, if not impossible task. There are, after all, many factors to think about: dreams, fears, ambitions, reality. Ted Tonks had no difficulty with this challenge, his answer was simply: Waiting For Andromeda.

It had become his obsession. He watched from the Hufflepuff table as Lestrange leered lecherously at her and constantly tried to pull her towards him at mealtimes in the Great Hall while the faraway look clouded her face. When none of the other Slytherins were around he walked with her to classes, talking to her to keep her firmly fixed in reality with him for a few fleeting minutes. When she took a bad turn, he waited by her bedside in the Hospital Wing for her to wake up. He hated these times. Ever since the last attack, she went through random periods of withdrawal from everyone and everything, existing only in her own little world.

The morning of February 11th, he found her perched on a windowsill and his stomach lurched as he hurried through the throng of sleepy students on their way to breakfast. She was staring out at the view of the Black Lake and Ted saw trouble in her eyes. As if she had been expecting him, she turned just as he reached her side and smiled.

"You're here."

He shrugged and offered a lop-sided smile in return, "Aren't I always?"

She considered this for a moment and turned back to the window with an abrupt change of subject that made his heart sink, "I want to go swimming. Doesn't the water look lovely this morning?"

"You'll freeze in there," he replied running a hand through his sand coloured hair worriedly.

Andromeda bit her lip and Ted noticed she was twisting her hands painfully against the stone of the windowsill, hard enough to tear the pale skin.

"Dromeda-"

"If I freeze I won't be able to feel anything," she whispered.

The corridor was empty now; it was just the two of them standing together, though Andromeda was miles away.

"Why don't we go to the Hospital Wing?" Ted offered gently.

"I don't _want _to go to the Hospital Wing!" she replied agitatedly, "I want to go swimming, Teddy."

"Dromeda, you're hurting yourself," he said quietly, taking one of her hands from the windowsill and carefully turning it palm side up to show her the damage she was inflicting. She looked startled by the scarlet liquid pooling in the lines and smeared over her fingers and her large brown eyes finally looked up to meet his. The faraway look was gone and he let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding as they stood watching each other in silence.

"I like it when you hold my hand," she said, breaking the silence first. Her half-smile had returned, though it was genuine this time. "It feels… strong. Like my anchor to normality."

She stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close for a long hug. Ted closed his eyes, breathing in her scent until she pulled away and began to walk away from him. Like she always did.

* * *

**Well this turned out a hell of a lot darker than I thought it would! After several rewrites this is what I settled on... let me know how it turned out :)**

**Also, I can't remember who I thanked for reviewing so instead of cluttering up your inboxes: **

**Moony - Thank you! I really do wish for lots of chocolate... I'm going back to my flat tomorrow so may stop and load up on the way! Haha. I hope you continue reading!**

**RoLouG - Thank you again for continuing to read and review :) This chapter isn't really much of a relief from the sadness, the next chapter will be a bit lighter I promise!**

**Guest - Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was trying to go for a slightly different take on their relationship so I'm pleased to see it's working alright! **


	5. I'm Giving You All My Love

**Chapter Information**

**Title: I'm Giving You All My Love**

**Pairing: Ted/Andromeda**

**Quote: "In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes  
In the night the stormy night away she'd fly" - Coldplay**

**Rating: M, for swearing and scenes of a sexual nature.**

* * *

_Love develops differently for different people. This much is obvious even to the most obtuse type of person. With Teddy and I... it was complicated. Over the course of sixth year our pattern became less stressful and we settled into a more relaxed routine. Rabastan stayed away from me for the rest of the term, apparently he received a Howler from Bellatrix that left a lasting impression. Rumours suggested that she had charmed the envelope with an impotence curse._

_The summer was when everything changed. Holed up in Black Manor for days on end while Narcissa and Mother holidayed with the Malfoys in Italy and Father went on business trip after business trip, I felt trapped and alone. But with no one to stop me... I could fix that._

* * *

His eyebrows were knitted together in concentration as he dragged the pencil across the page, trying to get the nose right before he moved onto the most difficult part, the eyes. The elderly woman sitting on the park bench across the path from his own seating place seemed to notice she was being watched intently and she cast suspicious glances in his direction every time he looked up. Not that he noticed.

Why were eyes so damn difficult to capture on paper?

A light thud beside him told him someone had joined him on the uncomfortable bench and he glanced to the side to acknowledge them before performing a double-take. Andromeda smiled at him, as if a Muggle park was the most natural place in the world for her to show up at his side during the summer holidays.

"Hello…" he said slowly, the drawing abandoned on his lap.

"Lovely day isn't it?" she said pleasantly, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked around at the playing children calling to each other.

"Yes… I suppose so." Too many questions were fighting their way to the forefront of his mind about why she was here, how she'd known where to find him, if her family knew where she was, that he shook his head and decided to forget about it. Andromeda was Andromeda after all.

"Having troubles?" she asked, indicating the forgotten piece of paper.

"Oh, yes. The eyes. Can never do them."

"Understandable."

He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"The eyes are the window to the soul, as they say," she said, "It is difficult to capture the essence of a stranger's soul. It is difficult to capture the essence of anybody's soul, unless you understand it for yourself. Fully."

"You mean soul mates?" he asked, curiously.

"If that is what you want to call it," Andromeda replied. She studied the portrait and brushed a fingertip over the woman's eyes, deep in thought.

"I guess I should just give up now then," Ted said, "At best I consider Miss Franks an acquaintance."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Don't be disheartened, Teddy. You have considerable talent."

"You sound like my mother," he said wryly, "But thanks."

"Is she here?" Andromeda asked, looking around.

"No, she's at work. She's a secretary for one of the big law firms in Manchester so she works a lot these days," he said, trailing off.

"I know what that's like. My father is often away on business. I believe he is in Paris at the moment with Abraxas Malfoy and my Uncle Orion," she mused. Her eyes had fixed on a young couple seated at a bench about five hundred yards away staring intently into each other's eyes; when they weren't kissing passionately. Ted let out a snort of laughter as Miss Franks tutted disapprovingly and was plainly ignored by the embracing couple.

Then, before he could process what was happening, Andromeda's lips were pressed against his, soft and sweet tasting, like strawberries. The tutting from across the path become more pronounced though Ted couldn't hear her for the blood pounding in his ears. What felt like an hour, but could only have been a few seconds, went by and too startled to respond he stared wide-eyed at Andromeda as she pulled away and stood up. With a last smile, she started to walk away from him.

Snapping back to his senses, Ted hurriedly stuffed the pad of paper and pencil in his pocket and scrambled up after her.

"Wait!"

As he passed Miss Marks, she called pompously, "In my day, we would never have behaved so outrageously in public!"

"Explains why you're still a Miss then," he muttered as he hurried after Andromeda. An indignant screech from behind him told him she'd heard his comment and he quickened his pace. The old hag was legendary for the injuries she could cause with that walking stick…

"Dromeda, wait!" He had almost caught up to her when she turned with a wide smile that he couldn't help but return.

"Chase me, Teddy," she challenged, and then took off through the trees.

Perplexed, he complied, and started to jog after her but lost sight of her in the midst of all of the branches scratching at his face.

"Dromeda? I can't see you, where are you?" he called. No reply.

After an hour of searching, Ted gave up and trudged home. Maybe the whole thing had been some kind of delusion…

* * *

He ran his hands through her soft hair and down her bare back, making her shiver, as he lowered her down onto the bed. Rising up over her, he pressed his lips against hers and she responded feverishly, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling their bodies closer together. He could feel her breasts pressed up against him and let out a short moan, stiffening against her. Her eyes were dancing with passion as-

_Tap. Tap._

With a groan of frustration Ted opened his eyes blearily and sat up, the ache in his groin familiar these days.

_Tap. Tap._

The noise grew more urgent and Ted frowned. Flinging the covers aside he padded across the bedroom carpet towards the window and drew back the curtains. His eyes widened, almost comically, as he saw her perched on the roof of the porch motioning for him to open the window. Horrendously aware of his current state of arousal, his face turned a deep shade of red and he made sure to position the lower half of his body behind the curtain as he opened the window and Dromeda stepped into his bedroom. Dusting herself down, she smiled.

"Well, that was quite the journey," she said softly.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered, mindful of the thin wall separating his room from his mother's. Backpedalling, he added, "Not that I'm not pleased to see you… but it's a surprise."

She smiled again. "I thought you liked surprises, Teddy."

He couldn't help smiling back this time. "I do. It's nice to see you again, for a moment there I almost thought I was getting some normality."

Dromeda stepped forwards and hugged him. Ted instinctively wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in, before remembering his… problem. She looked up at him, her eyes like saucers and neither of them spoke for a few moments. Ted couldn't find the words and settled for opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water as he pulled away from her.

"Sorry," he finally said lamely, "I…um... you woke me up and…"

"Having some interesting dreams, hmm?" she said, her lips curved up into a trademark Black smirk. Her eyes were telling a different story however and Ted felt himself plunge into a pit of self-disgust and shame. Of course, anything like that was going to bring unwanted memories.

"Dromeda, I'm really sorry," he whispered again fearfully.

"It's all right," she replied, turning to close the window and draw the curtains behind her. "I cannot imagine you would ever do me any purposeful harm. That is the reason I am here."

His eyebrows shot up and he ran a hand through his tousled hair in an attempt to look half presentable as she traced a finger over the old photo frame sitting on his bedside table. She looked over her shoulder at him questioningly and he moved forward to stand beside her.

"It's my father," he said quietly, staring at the tall stranger smiling into the camera dressed in his Navy uniform, two medals pinned proudly to his chest.

"You look very similar. What happened to him?" she asked, setting the frame back down onto the table.

"What makes you think-"

"Do not evade the question," she said with a knowing look.

Ted sighed. "I don't know exactly. He disappeared before I was born. My mother doesn't like to talk about it."

"That's sad," Andromeda commented, "Do you miss him?"

"You can't miss someone you've never known," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Don't be stupid, of course you can," she replied. She sat down on the bed. "I missed you before I knew you."

He tilted his head to the side slightly and frowned, trying to make sense of her comment, and she giggled, an action so unlike her that it made her look almost innocent.

"You think too much, Teddy. Come and sit next to me."

He obeyed, sinking into the mattress beside her. She took his hand and immediately his heart started to race. He swallowed. _Maybe I'm still dreaming…_

"Can I stay the night?" she whispered, her eyes searching his.

"O-Of course," he stammered out stupidly, cursing himself inwardly for his inane awkwardness. "You'll have to hide from my mother in the morning though."

"Does she not approve of her son having girls in his bed then?" she asked, the mischievous glint returning to her eyes, "Don't look so worried, Teddy. I won't get you into trouble."

He found himself nodding along, even though he knew already it was a bad idea. He still couldn't quite believe she was here sitting next to him, her warm hand covering his… until she took it away to start unfastening her travelling cloak. He swallowed nervously again but couldn't tear his gaze away as she dropped the cloak onto the floor. Her long slender fingers moved to the fastenings on her robes and she unclasped them before standing up, letting them slide down her body into a pool on the floor. The silence between them was slightly unnerving but the words to break it caught in his throat as she leaned forwards and kissed him. In that instant he felt himself break and knew there was no way back now.

Her underwear joined her robes on the floor and she stood in front of him, looking so beautiful he almost couldn't breathe as his eyes travelled down her slim body and back up again. Her hands trailed down to his chest and she slowly started unbuttoning his pyjama shirt, exposing the skin underneath. Ted pulled it off completely, his eyes never left hers as she knelt on the bed next to him. Even the dark he could make out her seemingly serene expression. How could she be so calm when he was fairly certain a heart attack was imminent?

"Have you ever been with a woman before, Teddy?" she asked softly, her fingers entwining with his on the bed.

He shook his head, thankful she wouldn't be able to see the light blush spreading across his cheeks.

"A man?" she inquired and smiled when he finally found his voice, spluttering out a rapid, "No!"

"Do you want to be with me?" she whispered, stroking his hair back away from his forehead.

_More than anything in the fucking world. _"Are you kidding? Of course I do. Dromeda, I lo-"

She pressed a finger against his lips, silencing him. "Don't say it. Show it."

* * *

**Reviews for this chapter would be much appreciated as I'm quite anxious about how it went! You'd really make my day :)**

**Paige: Thank you for your review :) keep reading!**

**RoLouG: Thanks again! I love that you're still reading and reviewing :) It's good to know I've gotten Andromeda's reaction down well.**


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